Carney launches Delaware One Stop for new businesses

Friday

Gov. John Carney officially launched on Sept. 19 a new online tool to help streamline documentation and reporting requirements for new businesses.

The new Delaware One Stop, available at onestop.delaware.gov, allows businesses to interact with core state agencies whether they are starting out or ready to grow.

Delaware One Stop is a convenient, centralized transactional platform created to help business owners work through the necessary steps to begin operation in Delaware. Using one website, businesses can apply and pay for a Delaware business license, make required filings with the Department of Labor and create formation documents for a legal entity with the Division of Corporations.

“One of the things we hear all the time from small businesses is how hard it can be to figure out what you need from the state in order to open your doors,” said Carney. “We know that entrepreneurs just want to take care of those things quickly and get to work, but state government doesn’t always make it easy. Today we’re taking a big step in that direction and bringing many of those functions together on a single portal — Delaware One Stop.”

One Stop is the product of a collaborative effort among multiple state agencies and real-world entrepreneurs that allows users to access many services via a single login. This offers a clear roadmap to ensure continuous engagement between businesses and various state agencies.

The core functions of the new site include business license registration via the Division of Revenue, hiring reporting through the Division of Unemployment Insurance and coverage verification with the Office of Workers’ Compensation.

New to One Stop is a step-by-step guide to creating business entity formation documents for submission to the Division of Corporations, helping users on the path to organizing a Delaware corporation, partnership or LLC.

The new site is a significant rebuild of the original One Stop portal, launched in 2005. Designed and built by vendor Breakline Digital in cooperation with the Delaware Government Information Center and the Department of Technology and Information, the modern design prioritizes user experience and revolves around an account dashboard that tracks and saves progress. The new One Stop is hosted in cloud-based architecture built on the trusted Salesforce platform.

One Stop also features an integrated survey that takes the pulse of users who seem stuck on one screen for an extended period of time, allowing for real-time feedback and suggestions for improvement.

Before launch, members of the business community tested One Stop for its real-world usability.

Delaware One Stop offers these tips:

— The Division of Revenue Business License is $75 per year and is prorated; renew by the end of December for the next calendar year.

— Temporary business licenses can be printed from the One Stop; an official copy will be mailed.

— After a business is registered, gross receipts tax must be paid.

— Businesses that hire employees need to register with the Department of Labor, with both the Division of Unemployment Insurance and the Division of Workers Compensation. This is available on the One Stop under "Report Hiring.”

— Other licenses, such as professional licenses, environmental permits and local/county licenses, are not yet included in the One Stop system, and must be applied for separately.